Real Madrid vs Braga prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-11-07 20:00.
After three UEFA Champions League (UCL) wins this term, Real Madrid are eyeing up qualifying for the knockout stages at the earliest opportunity as they meet Braga having beaten them 2-1 in Portugal on matchday three. But after being pushed hard on that occasion and only drawing 0-0 with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, the 14-time UCL winners are suffering a bit of a wobble by their lofty standards.
“There’s no drama,” manager Carlo Ancelotti said after that result, putting a positive spin on a day that also saw Jude Bellingham leave the field with a shoulder injury. With goals sometimes hard to come by following Karim Benzema’s departure, Los Blancos cannot take any threat lightly, even though they’ve never lost at home to a Portuguese side (W9, D1) and are unbeaten at the Bernabéu in Europe since April 2022 (W7, D1).
Braga sit third in Group C (W1, L2) and might sense an upset win should they get on the scoresheet as they have done in all 19 of their competitive matches this season (W12, D3, L4) – including seven in Europe (W5, L2). Saturday’s 6-1 league win over Portimonense should have them heading to Spain in good spirits, especially after they bounced back emphatically to conceding the opening goal by scoring six unanswered strikes in the second half.
Manager Artur Jorge hailed his side as a team with “great character” after the comeback and they’ll need more of that here as they chase a first group-stage win in Spain following a 2-0 UEFA Cup defeat to Sevilla in November 2006. They’re on a run of three consecutive UCL away victories this term (including qualifiers), the last two of which saw them complete the scoring after the 80th minute.
Players to watch: VinĂcius JĂşnior set up Madrid’s winner against Braga last month and two of his three goals this term came between the 60th and 75th minute. Braga’s Simon Banza has scored four times across his last three appearances, with those strikes all arriving after the 70th minute.
Hot streak: Madrid scored first in each of their last seven home UCL fixtures (W6, D1).